Emscherkunst meets the German version of Punch & Judy
- Series: EMSCHERKUNST
For the exhibition EMSCHERKUNST.2010, Stephan Huber has developed three short, ten minutes long Kasperltheater (that is a German/Austrian version of Punch and Judy) plays which are performed daily on a mobile stage at various locations in the Ruhr area. These ribald, surreal plays are rooted more in the tradition of the cynical British „Punch and Judy“ show than in that of the often “educational” Kasperltheater being staged in Germany since the early 19th century.
The play Kasperl wird Galerist („Kasperl, the gallery owner“) juggles with the platitudinous, well-established clichés of the international arts market, profiteering of the gallery owners, and the corruptness of the art critics, but also with art as an object of speculation, and the artist as the painting ape. Staging locations of this play are the forecourts of cultural institutions such as museums, art halls, and galleries shortly before events or openings.
The play Kasperl braucht Geld („Kasperl needs money“) is a screw ball comedy – all the characters involved fool, slaughter, and eat each other, since it is always and just about the money: even the crocodile is that greedy it prefers swallowing the money bag instead of eating Kasperl. The staging locations of this play are pedestrian precincts close to banking houses.
The play Kasperl ist krank („Kasperl is sick“) is meant as an homage to Punch und Judy, including the famous sausage machine through which everything is passed: the doctor wants Kasperl’s guts and his money of course, Death wants Kasperl’s soul – but Kasperl just wants to get well again. Staging locations of this play are farmer’s markets in the northern Ruhr area.
Stephan Huber, realising his project with the assistance of Cornelia Acker and Wolfgang Stehle, has described his artistic intention as follows: „Of course, these plays have nothing to do with political correctness, social competence, or the gender discourse.
If it is art or a context movement from “low” fun fair happening to „high“ event of the Capital of Culture, if it is a populist strategy of the super-affirmation in public space: maybe these questions are allowed – but I’m not interested in them. I love the directness, the unruliness, the folksy theatrics with all their gloating, jealousy, perfidy, and meanness. They make you lough!“
Sculptor Stephan Huber often works with narrative theatric elements he realises in stage-like scenarios or seemingly perfect illusions. He’s interested in regional particularities, popular peculiarities, or religious curiosities. A focus of his artistic work is the examination of the political, social, and sociological conditions of public space.
Related videos:
- Theatre of the world – Anna Rispoli converts Ruhrbania into a stage
- Emscherkunst.2010 - An inspection by the artists / Part 1
- Emscherkunst.2010 - An inspection by the artists / Part 2
- Emscherkunst.2010 - An inspection by the artists / Part 3
- Emscherkunst.2010 - An inspection by the artists / Part 4
- Emscherkunst.2010 - The vision of the curator Florian Matzner
- Emscherkunst – Oberhausen Castle
- Why Are You Creative? – Interview with Nina Hagen
- Emscherkunst.2010 - Silke Wagner 01
- Emscherkunst.2010 - Silke Wagner 02
- Why Are You Creative? Interview with David Hockney
- Emscherkunst.2010 - M and M 01
- Emscherkunst.2010 - Wild island Gelsenkirchen
- Emscherkunst.2010 - Bridge cross Oberhausen
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